Church camp beset by vandals in Loon Bay

Sometime between April 7 and April 14, it appears that someone broke the United Church Camping Centre sign in Loon Bay. - Sarah Ladik

‘Irreplaceable’ sign destroyed, says caretaker

LOON BAY, NL - This is not the first time the United Church Camping Centre has been the victim of vandalism, but this is by far the worst.

“The sign, it’s totally destroyed,” said caretaker for the camp Harold Canning April 19. “They broke it down, split it in half… I found it on the beach.”

Sometime between April 7 and 14, someone, or several persons, made their way to the camping grounds and vandalized the welcome sign Canning said he had built himself. About eight feet by four, and made of 5/8-inch plywood, this would have been no easy feat. Canning said he found alcohol bottles nearby and, as a result of the level of damage done and the way the sign was obviously transported, does not suspect young people.

“It’s irreplaceable,” he told The Pilot.

Canning said he has reported similar, if less serious, crimes in the past and has been disappointed by the results. Sgt. Raymond Jullien of the Lewisporte RCMP detachment said that while he could not speak to this incident specifically, this kind of vandalism is not something the members are often called to deal with.

"You're going to get calls here and there," he said April 20, "but you're not going to get reports of it every week."

Canning said he has seen other, smaller, incidents of vandalism before but nothing too concerning.

“There’s been a little bit of damage over the years, but nothing to this extent,” he said. “And you know how it is with vandalism… it’s often just the one night, and then they disappear.”

If anyone has any information about this or any other crime, they are encouraged to contact their local RCMP detachment.